100 Reasons I love America: #2 Libraries.

(#2? Where is #1? What is this post about?)

Radhika loved the miniature train set in the Lexington Public Library. I have so many fond memories of her toddling along to the train sets and playing with them, stealthily checking out the other kids playing along side her. I remember sitting on comfortable cushions in the Kids section reading Little Quack board books to her. Years later, when we moved to the bay area, we became regulars at the Kids library in Harriet Street, Palo Alto. Little foot steps painted on the library floors marked the entrance to the Kids room. There was a train set there as well and this time Malathy, my 2 year old, played with them while my older one settled down in one of the benches there with her pile of books. And now, we visit the public library in Fremont, every Tuesday. There is no train set here but there is a little table with magnetic alphabets and numbers that Malathy likes to play with. She holds on to the magnetic pen and watches the other kids playing next to her, just the way Radhika had 4 years back.

When my mom visited America the first time, she marveled at the fact that library books in America were free to borrow! “If this happened in India, the library would close the next day. People would just keep the books at home and not return them!”, she said.

I remember visits to Eshwari lending library near Gopalapuram when I lived in Chennai. We had to pay to rent the books there. My dad would often ask why my brother and I insisted on taking every new Archies double digest in the library. “What is in these books that you guys read them like this day and night?”, he would ask in Tamil. But then he would obligingly ask the library manager if any new Archies comic books had come in. But let me not get diverted by nostalgia here. Let me focus on America and now.

So, my reason #2 to love America is the public library systems here. Not that they don’t exist in India but I am not talking about reasons I love India in this space (see how easily I let my mind wander to India if I skip a beat?) I want to dwell now on why I love America. Or rather, force myself to express gratitude for the little delights that America has to offer. Then, I would be able to call this country home, just as easily as I call India home.